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Fish
Fish is the third chapter of Journey. Chapter Three: Fish The next morning was the same old for Tsuyoshi. He attempted to sneak into his house to avoid getting chewed out by his parents for staying out past his curfew. Of course with his luck, his mom was waiting for him and he spent the last few hours of the night being scolded. ‘Why can’t you be more like your brother,’ his mom screeched. ‘We never had any issues like this raising him.’ This went on for hours until the sun had risen into the sky. Tsuyoshi yawned and made his way towards his bedroom…except turning his back on his mom wasn’t the best idea. She grabbed his shirt and yelled, “Oh no you don’t! I have several chores that need to be finished and you look wide awake!” Within minutes, Tsuyoshi was pushed outside where he was taking out the trash. “Wow you mom sounds like a real peach,” a smug voice said from the sidewalk. Hotaru stood on the sidewalk grinning as Tsuyoshi lugged the garbage bag to the dumpster. “What are you doing here?” “I came over to let you know that were leaving soon…and to apologize for freaking out last night,” Hotaru awkwardly said. “I also wanted to return something to you.” He pulled out a crumbled and slightly burnt bag and tossed it at Tsuyoshi’s feet. “What’s this,” Tsuyoshi asked as he bent down to pick it up? “It’s the food bag you bought at the market and our meal last night,” Hotaru answered brightly. Tsuyoshi sighed. “So that’s where the food vanished off too. Well if that’s all, I have a lot of work to do.” He attempted to continue, but Hotaru blocked his path. “Why do you put up with all these chores,” Hotaru asked? “Don’t you want to do anything in your life?” Tsuyoshi clenched his fists. “I’m living a perfectly fine life here in Easthollow! I get to do all these chores to impress my folks…and then I get to go fishing!” Hotaru looked unimpressed. “And you’re satisfied with that?” Tsuyoshi dropped the garbage and said, “No…I want to prove to my parents that I’m just as good as my older brother! And I can only do that if I get out and see the world.” “Then why don’t you come with us?” “What?” “We all wouldn’t mind bringing you along,” Hotaru said as he extended his hand. “So what to do you say? Ready to leave all these behind and become a better person?” Tsuyoshi stumbled backwards. “This is happening to fast,” he complained. “I need some time to think it over.” “Okay but don’t take too long…we leave in an hour!” Hotaru turned and walked down the street leaving Tsuyoshi to ponder in silence. Tsuyoshi sat in his room swinging his fishing pole like a sword. Maybe I should go with them, he thought. But knowing my folks…they would never let me leave this town. A knock on his door drew him out of his thoughts and he opened it. His mother stood there with her arms crossed. “Are you done with your chores,” she asked sternly? “Almost mom,” Tsuyoshi slowly answered. “But…I was wondering…if you would be okay with me…heading out into the world,” he pleadingly added. His mom stared at him with her mouth hanging wide open. Then she started to laugh hysterically. “You…head out into the world. You wouldn’t last a week out in the real world,” she laughed, as she wiped a tear from her face. “You won’t become anything like you brother and you know it!” Tsuyoshi’s mind raced back two years ago. He ran into his house, clinging frantically to his fishing pole, smiling like a madman. He burst into the kitchen were his mom was busy making dinner. “Guess what I did today mom,” Tsuyoshi eagerly said! “I caught my first fish,” he proudly exclaimed, holding up a small two inch fish. Without looking, his mom muttered, “That’s nice dear…but you’ll never guess what your brother did today.” “What did brother do now,” Tsuyoshi muttered as he realized his mom didn’t care? His mom turned to him with her face resembling a giddy school girl. “You brother courageously saved a small child from getting hit from a car. We’re going to throw a party for him and we can’t have your fish stinking up this place.” She took the fish from Tsuyoshi and deposited it into the garbage. Tsuyoshi looked mortified as someone else entered the kitchen. “Now mother…I’m sure we can celebrate Tsu’s first fish.” Tsuyoshi’s older brother reached into the garbage and handed the fish back to his younger brother. “Here you go champ. Not that bad of a catch…of course it’s not as big as my first catch but still not bad!” Back into the present, Tsuyoshi looked at his wall and saw the very same fish framed against the wall. Seeing his first fish that he ever caught reminded him of the first time that he accomplished something. Turning back to face his mom, Tsuyoshi’s face turned red and he yelled, “I could last more than a week.” “Then prove it,” his mom retaliated! “Go see the world…and don’t come back until you become a man!” Tsuyoshi glared at his mom, before picking up his fishing pole and marched out the door. His mom listened until she could no longer hear his footsteps. She then started to cry. “It’s about time I managed to get you out of this house, my son,” she whispered as she watched Tsuyoshi race across the lawn from the window. “So is he coming or not,” Akio muttered, swinging his sword absentmindedly. Akio, Satoru, and Hotaru stood at the entrance of the village, waiting for Izumi to return. Satoru said, “I don’t think that he is…he looked really busy when I saw him picking up some food for his family.” Akio said, “Well he better make up his damn mind fast then…because as soon as Izumi returns I want to head out.” “Who died and made you captain,” Hotaru teased as Izumi came running into view. “Hey guys,” Izumi breathed. “I got us enough food and supplies to last until we reach the capital.” “That’s great…but were still missing someone,” Satoru sadly whispered, staring into the village. “Come on guys…we should get moving before it gets too dark out,” Akio said as he started to walk away. Hotaru reached into his pocket. “Hold up ‘Captain,’” Hotaru said as he pulled out a coin. “If it’s heads, Tsuyoshi will show up. If it’s tails, then he will be a no show.” He flipped the coin into the air. Izumi caught it and looked at it… “Heads,” she said, as at the same moment, Tsuyoshi came bursting into view. “Wait for me you guys,” Tsuyoshi exclaimed as he caught up to his grinning new friends. “Alright,” Hotaru announced. “We’re all here and now our next stop…the Capital!” The group then made their way down the road as Tsuyoshi turned to look back at his hometown. “I won’t be gone forever,” he said. “I’ll be back someday.” A day has passed since Hotaru and company have left Easthollow. Night had fallen as the town bar was filled with very happy drunks and youth. Most people at the bar were happy…except for a silver hair young adult, who stood outside the bar with an annoyed expression. “What the hell is taking him so long,” he muttered as he looked at his pocket watch. “We have a tight schedule…” Suddenly the bar door opened and another young adult was thrown out. “And don’t come back,” the bar owner announced. The guy on the ground groaned and noticed the other man leaning against the bar. “Oh how’s it going buddy!” “You idiot! We have a job to do and we don’t have any time to be messing around!” “Cut me some slack man…I was doing our job,” the brown haired guy complained as he got to his feet. “Sounds to me, like you were mixing your job with hanging out with whatever women you could get your hands on,” the other sneered. “Again it’s not my fault that the cutie in the corner was the owner’s daughter. But on the bright side I did find out some information.” “Well let’s hear it.” “Turns out there a group of teenagers were recently here…and one of them had the same name of the person were trying to fine. They left yesterday heading out to the capital.” “Now that is something we can work with. Come on, we got a job to do!” the silver haired man turned and energetically marched down the street. His partner grinned. “Oh Hotaru…I hope you’re as attractive as they made you out to be,” he hungrily said, as he licked his lips. Trivia Category:Chapters